The most correct method of verification of Nasogastric tube placement?

Answer 1

There are three ways of ensuring correct placement:

a) By placing a stethoscope on the patients abdomen, roughly in the gastric area, you should be able to hear a bubbling sound when injecting a small volume of air into the tube. This is by far the easiest method, and should be done routinely before administering medicine or nutrition via the tube.

b) By aspirating a bit of gastric juice through the tube. If no gastric juice appears, the tube might very well be placed in the lungs.

c) X-ray. In many countries this is also routinely done, but has the disadvantages of using too many resources as well as exposing the patients of unnecessary radiation.

All in all option a is by far the easiest correct method of ensuring correct placement.